Printer Ink Cartridge Wireless Communication Blocking Unit
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Printers with multiple ink cartridges face issues with wireless communication errors, leading to incorrect processing of ink information due to the potential for communication with the wrong information storage medium, resulting in prolonged printing times and inaccurate ink remaining amount data.
Innovation Solution
A printer with an ink cartridge holding unit, a wireless communication unit, and a controller that acquires identification information from each ink cartridge via wireless communication, and uses a wireless communication blocking unit to ensure one-to-one communication, preventing simultaneous data acquisition and ensuring accurate processing of ink information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the printer performs wireless communication with multiple information storage mediums simultaneously, then communication efficiency is improved, but communication errors occur leading to incorrect processing of ink information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the communication process by introducing a wireless communication blocking unit that divides the communication space. This unit blocks wireless signals from reaching information storage mediums that are not currently being accessed, ensuring that only the target ink cartridge can communicate with the printer at any given time. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by maintaining communication efficiency through targeted access while preventing communication errors through spatial isolation of non-target cartridges.
2Measurement precision
If the printer communicates with all ink cartridges to acquire identification information, then data accuracy is improved, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by acquiring identification information from all ink cartridges in advance and storing it in the printer's storage unit. This preliminary data collection allows the printer to quickly retrieve and verify ink cartridge information during operation without performing time-consuming communication cycles each time. The blocking unit ensures this preliminary action is performed accurately by preventing interference from non-target cartridges, thus achieving both data accuracy and time efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
A printer includes an ink cartridge holding unit that holds a plurality of ink cartridges each including an ink pack and an IC chip that stores ink information, and an access unit that performs wireless communication with the IC chip of the ink cartridges held by the ink cartridge holding unit, and a printer controller, in which the IC chip stores a chip ID, and the printer controller acquires the chip ID from the IC chip of each of the plurality of ink cartridges, and executes, based on the chip ID that is acquired, processing related to the ink information with the IC chip of each of the plurality of ink cartridges.